Compatible Toner Cartridges in the UK: What You Need to Know
If you own a printer that necessitates toner cartridges, you’re certainly aware of the expense of OEM replacement cartridges. OEM stands for “original equipment manufacturer.” This consequently means that if you use an HP or Epson printer, for example, you likely will be using HP or Epson ink toner cartridges. To help solve concerns with expensive OEM toner ink cartridges, many after market compatible toner cartridges exist in the UK. These offer brands that aren’t the OEM.
Not all laser printers are created equal. The same applies to toner cartridges. In order to require customers to buy their cartridges, each manufacturer uses a different design so that only their replacement cartridge will fit inside their printer. While this is good news for them in terms of profits, it can potentially create a complex problem for customers to solve. Because there are so many companies who make them, finding compatible toner cartridges means knowing exactly who made it. What’s more, most companies have several models, so you must also know the exact make and model of the printer. The good news is that there are three reliable methods for determining the right cartridge.
Differences Between OEM and Compatible Cartridges
There’s been a great deal of controversy concerning the implementation of compatible ink cartridges. When these products initially were conceived, OEMs tried to oppose their use by claiming that if used, compatible ink toner cartridges would void the printer’s warranty. Nevertheless, legislation has since been enacted in the UK that keeps printer OEMs from implementing this restrictive policy. Printer owners are free to purchase any type of printer toner cartridges, whether OEM or compatible. However, you should know that the dependability of compatible cartridges can be highly variable. In 2008, a quality assurance company named QualityLogic commissioned a study that compared HP branded LaserJet toner cartridges to five types of compatibles. The results said that “the quality and usability of pages printed with Original HP LaserJet colour toner cartridges was consistently more reliable than output from the re-manufactured colour toner cartridges.”
Toner Cartridge Chips and Fuses
Another strategy used by OEMs to deter the use of third-party laser toner cartridges in their products is the use of chips and fuses. The chip connects to the printer to authenticate that the cartridge is an OEM. It’s implied that the chip examines toner usage and identifies the cartridge as empty. So even if the cartridge is refilled, the printer will believe it’s empty. In addition, a built-in fuse “blows” (breaks off the electrical circuit) whenever the toner cartridge is empty. Blown fuses in cartridges can’t be simply replaced. Both the chip and the fuse must be substituted for a compatible toner cartridge to work efficiently. Does this appear to be getting a bit complex? Well, that’s what the OEMs want you to believe. In reality both chips and fuses are accessible and replaceable, so most compatible cartridges are as competent in linking to the printer as OEM cartridges.
The selection between OEM and compatible toner cartridges is fully up to the printer’s operator. In the UK, compatibles allow for considerable cost savings.